Dip soldering machines



Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ET AL DIP soLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 11, 1956 N .mm

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Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors dolph 5. D0/"052 Andreu; J @Mb/'ide Pan/f V75/vencer' B their l e Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11, 1956 Inl/en fom` Adolfo/z5 Bly/*052 rzareu/J @lfb/ide Elan/r wloencer By hez'f' .4- r Ly Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ET AL DIP soLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed May 11, 1956 B their ,xv,

Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

' DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inventors Adolph Dor'osz Andrew J ilb/z'de Fan/f V55/vencer v By their @may Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL DIP soLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed May 1l, 1956 6 s E@ f mmo l MDM HSJJM eh www! a mwmmw 9 AAH@ l \\U Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL DIP soLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed May 11, 1956 Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL DIP SOLDERING MACHINES sept. 19,1961

A. S. DOROSZ ET AL DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1956 [n1/entail? Ado/ph Da/"osz 'Andrew J Gilly/ide Fan/r W Spencer 18 Sheets-Sheerl 9 Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ErAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Piled May l1, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 [Uhm/f WJpencel B t efr' l rney Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ET AL DIP, SOLDERING MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed May 1l, 1956 Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP soLDERING MACHINES v Filed May l1, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 12 By their Attorney Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 1 E c3 T A 250 (46 250 50 fnl/en tors Adolph Domsz And/ew J Gi/brz'a/e Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL DIP soLDERmG MACHINES 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 Filed May 1l, 1956 Inventors dollh f Da/*osz And/eux J Gilbrz'de Fran W Spencer' i B5 teir Attorney Sept. 19, 1961 A. sjDoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 11, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 Jay. 36

Invent/Jrs do/ph [D0/"052 Andrew J z'lbride Sept. 19, 1961 Filed May 11, 1956 A. S. DOROSZ ET Al.

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES O O OOO 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 Inventors Ado/ph Dornsz Andrew J Zb/"l'de Han/f WIS/Dancer By th eff" Atto/"ne Sept. 19, 1961 A. s. DoRosz ETAL 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Filed May 1l, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 17 Inventors dlph v5 [D0/052 And/ew J z'lbrz'de Hun/r WS/yencef" Sept 19, 1951 A. s. DoRosz ETA'. 3,000,342

DIP SOLDERING MACHINES fn z/en tors Adolph Do/"osz nd/"ew J @Nb/"ide fcm/f Wpencer By their t-$31165 United States Patent 3,000,342 DIP SOLDERING MACHINES Adolph S. Dorosz, Beverly, Andrew J. Gilbride, Swampscott, and Frank W. Spencer, Beverly, Mass., assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington,

NJ., a corporation of New `l'ersey Filed May 11, 1956, Ser. No. 584,361 2 Claims. (Cl. 113-129) This invention relates to the provision of versatile lapparatus for simultaneously and uniformly kforming a plurality of good quality joints lby means of dip soldering. More particularly, and as herein illustrated, the invention pertains to a conveyorized -type of machine yfor sequentially carrying IWiring boards through a closed series of treating stations which Iare specially adapted and automatically controlled to yield uniformly good results in uniting the circuits on the boards with the leads of their respective components. Although shown herein yas applied to the dip sol-dering of printed wiring boards which are caused to carry the leads of their components tinto and through solder in a vat, it will be appreciated that the invention is not thus limited in use, but may in its various aspects be advantageously employed for the soldering of other equipment, and indeed 4for coating or otherwise treating different articles in a variety of ways.

Chassis #for mounting electronic components are increasingly taking the form of so-called printed wiring boards, i.e., insulating bases commonly of laminated plastic upon which a specified yconductive pattern, usually of copper, has -been reproduced. These boards vary considerably in size and shape to accommodate different circuit configurations, and will normally be preformed to receive in appropriate relative positions the terminations of a plurality of components to be interconnected. A great advantage `der-ived Ifrom mounting the bodies of the required components on one side of a printed wiring board and inserting their leads through the board for joining with the circuit on the other side of the board is that all the lead or termination ends may then lie substantially in a plane and hence be simultaneously and permanently connected into the circuit by one dip soldering operation. Many techniques, both manual and automatic, have been practiced to obtain dip soldered joints, and the importance of such interdependent factors as solder and ux content, temperatures, and speed of movement and time control is generally appreciated. With the advent of automatic systems lfor assembling components on wiring boards it has become particularly desirable that an improved type of high output dip soldering machine capable of insuring reliable, uniform joints be provided, and accordingly this is the general object of the present invention.

In keeping with the object just stated, a feature of the invention resides in the provision in a dip soldering machine of an endless chain arranged yfor travel over a series of treating stations, track means by which spaced work-mounting carriages are sequentially guided for treatment of their work at the successive stations, and means by which each carriage is connected to the chain to be moved to and through the stations, corresponding portions of the paths of the chain and track means deviating in direction from each other as one of the stations is being traversed by a carriage to modify its speed with lrespect thereto. As herein shown, the several stations, as arranged in order of operation, are: (l) loading, (2) uxing, (3) pre-heating, (4) dip soldering, (5) cleaning bath, (6) draining and air cleaning, and (7) unloading. In accordance with a Afurther feature of the invention these stations are advantageously disposed in a generally horizontal and elongated, closed path, such that loading and unloading stations are adjacent to each other and lolCe cated in a straight reach remote from that of the dip soldering station, while the pre-heating and cleaning bath stations respectively occupy oppositely disposed circular portions of the closed path connecting said straight reaches.

rPhe above and other features of the invention, including for instance a unique carriage -for carrying the Work pieces, an automatic solder replenishment mechanism, and a solvent bath including brushing means mounted to compensate for wear, together with various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, all contributing to improved perfor-mance and output of the stations Vand of the versatility of the machine as -a Whole, will now be more particularly described in connection with an lillustrative embodiment yand with reference to the accompanying drawings thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an exemplary automatic dip soldering machine, the path of work holding carriages through the operating stations being indicated by arrows;

FIG. 2 is la plan view of a detachable carriage and -its guide rails;

FIG. 3 is a view in side elevation of the carriage shown in FIG. 2;

' FIG. 4 is a view in end elevation of the carriage shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of parts shown in FIG. 4 and indicating the manner in which a wiring board is yieldingly held by spring lingers;

FIG. 6 is `a view corresponding with FIG. 5 and enlarged to show a board stripping or unsticking device;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the positioning end of a board-holding nger;

FIG. 8 is a View in side elevation of a uX-spraying station;

FIG. 9 is a section taken on the line IX-IX of FIG. 8;

FIG. l() -is a plan view of a carriage having a board about to traverse the flux-spraying zone;

FIG. 11 .is a section taken on the line XI-XI of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a wiring diagram indicating the electrical control of the fluxing spray;

FIG. 13 is a plan view of a pre-heating station;

FIG. 14 is a section taken on the line XIV- XIV of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side elevation of a dip soldering station, an intermediate portion thereof being broken away;

FIGS. 16 and 17 indicate successive positions of a wiring board emerging from solder and showing progressive posit-ions of menisci resulting from the relative move` ment;

FIG. 18 is a longitudinal, lvertical section showing a carriage ascending from one end of the solder tank;

FIG. 19 is a section taken on the line XIX-XIX of FIG. 18 and indicating optional details of constructiom when insuring that -an ascending carriage is to maintain its Wiring board in horizontal rather than inclined position;

FIG. 20 is a plan view of the soldering station and indicating solder replenshing means;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged section showing a component -lead as inserted in a Wiring board, a printed circuit thereon, and the solder of -a solidified joint connecting the lead end and printed circuit;

FIG. 22 is a section taken on the line XXII-XXII of FIG. 20;

FIG. 23 is a vertical section showing means indicated in FIG. 20 lfor adjustably controlling the level of the solder;

FIG. 24 s a vertical section taken on the line XXIV--r xxrv in F1o. 2o indicating details of the Snider replenishing means;

FIG. 25 is a View in side elevation of the inner tracks controlling the carriages traversing the solder tank; e FIG. 26 is a side elevation and partly in section showing a carriage as its wiring board is entering the solder; `FIG. 27 is a detail inV side elevation indicating the mounting of a Wiper on a carriagek and cam means by which the wiper is urged into the solder;

FIG. 28 is a side elevation of the carriage proceeding through the solder;

FIG. 29 is a view corresponding to FIG. 28, but showing the carriage rising from theY solder and indicating means by which dross is removed and collected;

FIG. 30 is a plan view of a cleaning bath and its brushes;

FIG. 3l is a view in side elevation of means for guiding successive carriages into the cleaning bath of FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is a vertical section through a portion of the cleaning bath and illustrating brush action on a Wiring board;

FIG. 33 is a plan view of a portion of a carriage about to actuate air cleaning devices;

FIG. 34 is an elevation indicating a tilted carriage traversing a` portion of the draining and air-cleaning station;

FIG. 35 is an elevation, partly in section, of the draining and air cleaning station;

FIG. 36 is a section taken on the line XXXVI-XXXVI on FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a plan view of a portion of the station shown in FIG. 35, portions being broken away for clarity;

FIG. 38 is an elevation with portions broken away of the unloading station;

FIG. 39 is a plan view of unloading ngers mounted in the unloading station; and

FIG. 40 is a vertical section indicating a carriage being relieved of its wiring board.

The illustrative machine includes various fire prevention and safety devices, vapor removing means, and precautionary mechanisms which, for the most part, have been omitted from the drawings since they are not necessary to an understanding of this invention and would tend to obscure structure hereinafter to be described. The general arrangement of the machine is indicated in FIG. I, the several treating stations to be explained in order of their operation being designated as follows: (l) loading, (2) iiuxing, (3) pre-heating, (4) dip soldering, (5) cleaning bath, (6') draining and air cleaning, and (7) unloading. For moving Wiring boards 40 (FIGS. 6, 10,13,

and 2l) sequentially through these stations, each board to be dip soldered is mounted at the loading station in a work-supporting carriage 42 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 4). An endless roller chain 44 (FIGS. l, 9, l5, and 22) is in mesh with a drive sprocket 46 and an idler sprocket 48 spaced horizontally therefrom, and the carriages 42 are respectively connected to spaced lugs 50 formed on the chain 44 by inclined tow links 52. Control of a motor (not shown) for driving the chain 44 will normally be exercised from the vicinity of the loading station.

The work-supporting carriage Each carriage 42 comprises an open rectangular frame 54 (FIG. 2) having at its outer side a downturned portion 56 for carrying a vertical wheel or roller 58, and at its inner side a pair of inwardly extending projections overlying a pair of spring clips 62, respectively. The latter enable the work-supporting portion of the carriage 42 to be detachably and pivotally connected to a rod 64 of a three-wheeled dolly of the carriage. The rod 64 is pivotally supported at its front end on a pin 66 (FIGS. 2 and 3) carried by one end of a. frame 68 of the dolly, the rear end of the rod 64 normally extending into a rectangular slot formed in the rear end ofthe frame 68. Bosses formed beneath both the rear and front endsv of the framev 68 andalsoat itsV mid-portion are vertically bored to receive pins on which are respectively mounted for rotation grooved wheels 70, 72, and 74. To provide a three-point bearing arrangement for exercising directional control of the frame 54, the middle wheel 74 is located somewhat more inwardly to engage its track 76, whereas the wheels 70, 72 are disposed to engage a track 78 parallel to the track 76. The front end of the frame 68 is connected to the lower end of a tow link 52. For reasons later mentioned the rearward projection 60 of a carriage may optionally be provided with a still further inwardly projecting arm 80, and an actuating cam 82 (FIG. 2) is formed on the frame 68.

The frame 54 has secured to one margin a board-supporting resilient arm 84 provided with spaced, V-shaped depending fingers 86. For cooperating with the arm 84 detachably to suspend a wiring board 40 by its opposite marginal edge faces, a resilient arm 88, also provided with V-shaped fingers 86, is secured to a bar having its ends respectively and adjustably secured to the frame 54. Clamping nuts 92 are accordingly disposed to receive studs respectively formed onv opposite ends of the bar 90 and extending through widthwise slots 94 respectively formed in the frame 54. While the straight arms 84 and 88, which preferably are of stainless steel, will accommodate various sizes of rectangular boards, it will be understood that other shapes of arms are provided if required to accommodateV non-rectangular boards. As indicated in FIG. 7, the forward end of the arm 88 is provided with a stop 96 against which it is usually desirable to position the leading edge of each board to be dip soldered. As an empty carriage 42 arrives from the unloading station, an operator at the loading station will present a wiring board thereto, component side up, and gently thrust the board downwardly to spread the arms 84, 88 until its opposite edges are received in the fingers 86. By positioning the leading edge of the board against the stop 96, the operator insures that during the soldering operation said leading edge will advantageously be closely adjacent to a widthwise wiper blade 98 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 26), preferably of stainless steel, which is swingably suspended from parallel wire linkage 100. The latter is pivotally secured to a forwardly projecting margin on the carriage. The loaded carriage 42 is now ready to -be conveyed by the chain 44 over au elongated, closed path defined by the tracks 76, 78 and a fiat outside track 102 cooperative with the roller 58, the path next extending through a tiuxing station.

F luxng station This and other stations of the machine are supported in closed formation at about Vwaist height by a sectionalized main frame generally designated 104 (FIGS. 9, l5, and 22) which also serves to support the sprockets 46, 48, slotted roller chain guide rails 106, and various idler sprockets 108, by which the path of the roller chain 44 is defined, and the carriage tracks 76, 78, and 102. FIG. 8 sho-ws a carriage 42 about to enter land actuate the fiuxing station over which an exhaust hood is mounted to eliminate vapor and any liux spray that does not get applied to a wiring board. Spaced horizontal and parallel bars 112, 114 constitute a part of the frame 104 extending around ythe machine and, in addition to supporting the carriage tracks, serve to mount equipment of the different stations. Thus, as shown in FIG. 9, a housing 116 for a spray gun 118 is secured to the bars 112, 114, and has a rectangular opening 120 (FIG. l0) 4in its upper surface through at least a portion of which the spray is emitted. Mounted on the housing 116 and brackets projecting from the bars 112, 114, respectively, is a channel-shaped enclosure 122 through which successive carriages -42 pass, the lower :and preferably flexible portions of -the hood 110 and the upper and preferably iiexibleportions of the enclosure 122 nearly engaging the carriage frames 54 to prevent leakage of the flux. For maskingY off an appropriate `Iwidthwise potion of the opening 120 a piece of sheet material 124 

